HURRICANES RECALL SVOBODA, MALEC FROM LOWELL

RALEIGH, N.C. – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the defending Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes, announced today that the team has recalled left wing Jaroslav Svoboda and defenseman Tomas Malec from Lowell of the American Hockey League. Svoboda and Malec will join the Hurricanes for Wednesday’s game against San Jose, the first game of a four-game road trip.

Svoboda, 22, began the season with Carolina and has played in 44 of the Hurricanes’ 53 games recording two goals, eight assists (10 points) and 28 penalty minutes. He is listed as a rookie despite playing in 10 of Carolina’s final 15 regular-season games in 2001-02 and all 23 games of the Hurricanes’ 2002 Stanley Cup Finals run.

Carolina selected Svoboda in the eighth round, 208th overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Since turning pro prior to the 2000-01 season, Svoboda has played 127 games with the Hurricanes’ top minor-league affiliates and notched 17 goals and 27 assists (44 points) while accumulating 93 penalty minutes. He has one goal, one assist (2 points) and 10 penalty minutes in nine games this season with Lowell.

Malec, 20, was reassigned to Lowell on Friday and played for the PlanetUSA team in the AHL All-Star game on Monday. He played in three games in his most recent NHL stint from Jan. 25-30. The 6’ 2”, 193-pound, Skalica, Slovakia, native has recorded two assists and 24 penalty minutes in 16 games with Carolina this season. In 28 games with Lowell, Malec has earned four assists.

Carolina acquired Malec from Florida along with Bret Hedican and Kevyn Adams on Jan. 16, 2002. The Panthers selected Malec in the third round, 64th overall, of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

The Hurricanes begin their four-game road swing on Wednesday at San Jose before traveling to Los Angeles, Anaheim and Dallas. The Hurricanes return to RBC Center on Feb. 14 to face the Washington Capitals at 7 p.m. Tickets for that game and all Hurricanes home games are available via the team’s official website CarolinaHurricanes.com, the Dodge Box Office at RBC Center or by calling 919.834.4000.